Method of charting and cutting upper-leathers.



APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1916- A. L. McMASTEIL METHOD OF CHARTING AND CUTTING UPPER LEATHERS.

Patented Apr. 30. 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET l/V VE IV TOR ATTORNEYS A. L. MCMASTER.

METHOD OF CHARTING AND CUTTING- UPPER LEATHERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1916- v Patented Apr. 30. 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WIT/M8858 yap ATTORNEYS A. L. McMASTER.

METHOD OF CHARTING AND CUTTING UPPER LEATHERS.

Patented Apr. 30. 1918.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9.1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

IVE/WI? M V 6 Fv l3 TTORIIIEYS ALBERT L. Md-IVIASTER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MET-H63) OF CHABTING AND CUTTING UPPER-LEATHERS.

Application filed November 9, 1916.

To all whom it may concern 'Be it known that I, ALBERT L. MOMASTER, a citizen of. the United States, and a resident of Rochester, in the county of Strafford, and State ofNew Hampshire, have invented a certainnew and useful Improve ment in Methods of Charting and Cutting Upper-Leathers, ofwhi'ch the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved method in charting and cutting shoe leather and the like, and it consists in the steps andoperations herein described and claimed.

An object of invention is to provide an improved method whereby an animal hide may be marked or charted so that the various portions of the-hide may be desig nated as regards quality, and a guide provided to assist in the cutting operation.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the charting of each hide in making a stencil, so as to preserve in permanent form the laying out and cuttingability of individual cutters, so that such ability may be'taken advantage of forthe purposes of instruction and future cutting operations.

Another object of the invention is to" perforate the stencil invari-figured lines, so that when the stencil is applied toa hide, the various portions of the hide will be clearly marked and constitute anindeX in the assorting operation.

Other objects andadvantages will appear from the following specification," reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of a hide showing the surface thereof subdivided into squares;

*Fig. 2 is apla'n view of ahide illustrating how it is divided into sections, the sections being --numbered;

' Fig. 3-isf a plan-view of a hide illustrating the manner of applying the patterns;

Fig.4 is a plan view of -a portion of a hide showingthe manner in which it is Stenciled; the various portions of the hide from which the patterns are tobe' cut, being defined 'byfvari-figured' lines;

Fig; 5 isa plan'view of a hide illustrating how *the' F various portions I of: the hide it may specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3Q, 11918..

Serial No. 139,501.

be indicated by colored lines, the regions designated by the colored lines being shown by solid coloring;

Fig. (3 is a plan view of a hide illustrating how the different portions of the hide may be identified by using vari-iigured lines in marking the sub-divisions;

Fig. 7 isa perspective view of a number of leather cuttings, and illustrating more particularly the stencil 'inarkings Fig. 8 is plan view of a stencil chart;

Fig. 9- is view of a portion of the stencil chart, illustrating how the leather cuttings are reassembled thereon preparatory to making astencil;

Fig. 10 is a view of a portion of the stencil chart illustrating how the leather cuttings are outlined thereon;

Fig. 11 is a view of a portion of the stencil chart, illustrating the method of perforating the outlines, and

Fig. 12 is a view of the completed stencil showing portions thereof as having been perforated, and numbered, ready for filing away.

In the art of shoe manufacture, and more particularly that branch thereof wherein animal hides are cut into upper leathers, it is a common occurrence to find that considerable amounts of leather are wasted or lost principally on account of'the absence of definite guides for the cutter to follow. In carrying out my invention in the first instance, I sub-divide a hide I by ordinate horizontal and vertical rulings 2 and 3. These rulings are preferably made with a crayon, so that they may be erased without diiiiculty, and are spaced approximately three inches apart. The spacing of the rulings is purely arbitrary, and may be such as will answer the requirements of any particular hide. V V

The next step in carrying out my invention is to accentuate certainones of the-rulings Qand 3, as shown in 2, so as to divide tliehide into sections that will'represent the various portions thereof. These sections'are invariably nine in number, and may be numbered from one to nine to aid in performing other operations.

i The numberedsections of the hide represo 7 hide having been charted in the manner set fmanner in which he applies the cutting patsenting the portions thereof as regards quality, are as follows:

' No. 1,jleft fore leg;

1 3, right fore leg;

7, left hind leg 9, right hind leg; 2, head; 8, butt; 5, center; 4, left flank; and 6, right flank.

In order to identify the various numbered sections of the hide just referred to, reference is directed to Fig. 2 of the drawings, in which l indicates the accentuated lines dividing the hide into sections. 7

r The operation or acts just enumerated, are what I term charting the hide. It will at once be apparent that the horizontal and Vertical'rulings on the surface of the hide form guides, by which the cutter is enabled to judge distances in applying his patterns. The dividing of the hide into the nine sections previously described, separatesthe different qualities of the stock for the cutter, since for instance, the best portion of the hide is in the center, marked number 5, while the portions of poorer quality are in the sections marked numbers 1, 2, etc. The

forth, is given to a cutter whose duty it is to cutthe hide into the greatest number of upper leathers possible. The ability of a cutter rests entirely on his experience and the terns to the'hide. Instead of the present uncertain method of cutting haphazard into a skin, the cutter has definite lines before him which, as stated above, separate different qualities of stock in that skin and at the same time furnish a definite known spacing in'squares which provide a constant means for jud ing distances. 7 I e-ToilIustrate the-importance of this advantage, an ordinary cutter can cut one hundred pairs a day, and as a rough estimate, thereare ten pieces to a pair. This means that the" cutter mustgo through the opera- 'tion' of laying a die or pattern on his stock one thousand times a day. Another advant'age of charting the leather hide in the man- .1181; explained is that, on employing a new, untrled cutter, charted stock may be given 111mm be cut. His-skins may be reassembled in'crder to ascertain his method of procedif 1 'ure, and his ability thus proven at once.

" If, instead of charting the hide by means 7 of the ordinate rulings 2 and 3, and the accentuated linest, it be found practical to employ some other method, the lines of the various sections of the hide may be designated by different colors- In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have illustrated a hide on which the various portions thereof are distinguished by such colorings, the color scheme being as follows:

Head, #2, yellow, Legs, #1, 3, 7, 9, red, Flanks, #4, 6, white, Center, #5, blue,

Butt, #8, brown.

hide. In this instance the ordinate rulings represented by 2 and 3 in Fig. l of the drawings, are made of vari-figured lines. These lines 2 and 3, are composed of symbols as follows:

Head, diamonds, Legs, squares, Butt, dot and dash; Center, circles, Flanks, triangles,

It will readily be understood that shoe upper leathers cut from a hide or hides having the sections thereof colored or marked by symbols to indicate the various portions, according to the quality thereof, may read ily be recognized and assorted. It is a fact that five different cutters, if given the same pattern and stock, would undoubtedly use different methods or runs in cutting their individual lots. One cutter might possess some point of advantage in laying on his patterns which, by the aid of the chart, could readily be detected. It is also a fact that new combinations of patterns are continually confronting the foreman of a cutting room. In order to preserve the various features of merit displayed in the manner of applying the patterns and cutting the stock of individual cutters, it becomes desirable to form a permanent record by means of stencils.

Let it be assumed that it is desired to form a stencil pattern of the method of cutting stock, of one particular cutter. A stencil chart 5 is provided, which may be a sheet of oil board, zinc, copper, or any suitable material of which a stencil may be made. The stencil sheet 5 is provided with ordinate rulings 6 and 7 these being arranged horithe numberingon the hide and the rulings thereon, itbeing a simpler matter to. arrange the portions so that the rulings will:coin aide.

The portions of the hidehaving been reassembled on the surface of the stencil sheet 5, the outlines of the shoe uppers 8 and tongues 9 aremarked directly on the stencil sheet 5 by any suitable means, such as a pencil, these outlines or markings being in dicated in Fig 10.

Certain ones of the lines or rulings 6 and 7 are now accentuated ina manner such as employed in marking the hides shown in- Fig. 2, so as to indicate the various portions of the hide.

The outlines of the various portions of the shoe are now perforated by means of a suitable perforating instrument. It will be observed that, in perforating these outlines, a similar identifying means is employed to identify the various portions of the hide, as in Figs. 5 and 6.

In the present instance, instead of coloring the different portions of the hide or subdividing the surface of the hide by varifigured lines, the outlines of the portions of the shoe are perforated in various symbols in accordance with that portion of the hide on which the outlines of the portions of the shoe are located.

By reference to Fig. 11, it will be observed that the perforating operation has been commenced, the symbols used being as follows:

Legs, square perforations; Head, dlamond perforatlons; Center, circular perforations; etc.

Upon the completion of the perforation of the outlines of the shoe portions on the sheet 5, a stencil sheet will have been created. The next act is to cut up or divide the stencil sheet 5, into sections of a convenient size for filing away for future reference and use.

By reference to Fig. 12 it will be observed that the stencil sheet has been out up into sections approximately twelve inches square, and for convenience in reassembling, has been numbered, 1,2, 3, etc., these sections being indicated at 10.

Upon occasion to use the stencil prepared in the manner above explained, the various stencil sections 10 are reassembled according to number, in a suitable stencil frame. The stencils are then laid upon a, hide which it is desired to chart, and a suitable, easily erased ink is applied thereto, thus transferring the design of the stencil onto the leather in vari-figured outlines. The result is partially pictured in Fig. 4,in which the various portions of the hide, as regards quality, will readily be recognized by the symbols of which the lines are composed, even by disregarding-,the rulings 2and3' and the accentuated lines. The hideprepared in this manner is now given to a cutter, who pr0- coeds to cut out the outlined portions, The result is that illustrated in Fig. 7, from which it will be observed that the edges of the uppers and tongues 8 and 9 respectively, are marked with various symbols represent ing those portions of the hide-from which they were cut. The work of assorting the various portions of the shoe now becomes comparatively easy, since the symbols on the edges of the cut leather are an index to the grade of the leather of which the cuttings are made.

While this method of charting and stencil.- ing is primarily intended for shoeleather, it isobvious that it may readily be adapted in markin the like.

1. The method of charting a hide, con.- sisting of marking'the hide into major sections to designate the portions containing, leather ofjdlfferent qualities, and marking patterns upon the hide surface with lines having figured components, the figure components of said lines being the same if traced on major sections of the same quality, but different if on major sections of difi'erent qualities.

2. The method of charting a hide, consisting of marking the hide into major sections to designate the center, legs, flanks, head and butt containing leather of different grades, and applying a faces of the sections thus designated for purposes of future distinction.

3. The method of charting a hide, consisting of marking the hide into major sections to designate the center, legs, flanks, head and butt containing leather of different grades, and stamping'the surfaces of corresponding sections with corresponding devices for purposes of future distinction.

1. The method of charting a hide, consisting of dividing the surface by crossed rulings, accentuat-ing certain of the rulings to designate major sections indicating the center, legs, flanks, head and butt containing different grades of leather, and applying a distinguishing medium to the designated sections so that like grades of leather may be recognized after having been cut up.

5. The method of preparing a hide stencil chart, consisting of marking a hide into major sections to designate the grades of leather, applying the patterns and marking the outlines thereof on the hide, cutting the hide, re-assembling the cuttings on a chart having facsimile major section markings, outlining the cuttings 011 the chart, and perforating the outlines with perforations havg sole leather,cloth, rubber, and:

marking on the suring vari-figuredcomponents, the figure components of said perforations being the same if formed on major sections of the same quality, but difierent if on major sections of difl'erent qualities. 7

i 6. The method of charting, consisting of sub-dividing the surface by crossed rulings, accentu'ating certain ones of the rulings to form sections, laying on the pattern, cutting the hide, reassembling the cuttings ona stencil shart having rulings corresponding to i l those on the hide cuttings, marking the out lines of the cuttings, designating the sections on the stenc l, and perforating the outlln'esin accordance with the sections.

7 The method of preparing charting sten-' cils, 'consistlng of subd viding the surface of a hide by crossed rulings, accentuating (topics of this patentrmay be obtained for tings on the chart, removing the cuttings,

and designating sections of the stencil chart to correspond with the numbers on pre- I viously superposed cut hide sections.

9. The herein described method which consists in charting the surface of the skin to be cut, to permit of ready reassembling of its out portions, reassembling the cut portions on a charted surface corresponding to the charted surface of the skin, and marking upon the latter charted surface the outlines of the skin cuttings, for the purpose described.

ALBERT L. MoMASTER.

lVitnesses WILLIAM WRIGHT, IIENRY D. YEATON.

flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. 0. 

